Sermon Podcast: “The Benefits of God”

Sermon Podcast Weblink: Sermon “The Benefits of God”

Psalm 103:1-18 (NIV)
¹Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
²Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits–
³who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
⁶The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
⁷He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
⁸The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
¹²as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
¹³As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; ¹⁴for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
¹⁶the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children– ¹⁸with those who keep his covenant and remember (To do them) to obey his precepts.

God’s Benefits

Benefits of membership:

Costco membership: you pay a yearly/monthly fee but you get discounted savings and additional benefits to being a member.

Benefits of being a member of God’s family:

1. He forgives (v3)

* What does his forgiveness cover? Everything!

* It covers all of a believer’s iniquities and sins…notice though this is for believers!

* Before we become members and experience the benefits of God there is nothing good in us, nothing to justify us or make us right with God. We are lost in our sins. Without our membership, without our belief in God’s redemptive power we are hopelessly lost. But once we believe in Him he brings to us this unmerited grace in the form of forgiveness for all of our wrong doings. We find redemption through Jesus Christ.

2. He heals all our diseases. (v3)

* Psalm 23 says “He restores my soul”

* This is what the benefit of God’s healing entails…he provides a restoration for our bodies, souls and minds.

* He cleanses the soul of all malice, envy, lusts, backbiting, unbelief, all disease of the heart and of the body.

* 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)
¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

3. He redeems your life from destruction! (v4)

* When we believe in God we get the benefits of that belief. These benefits include a restoration and a healing from our iniquities’ and our sins but God’s redemptive power takes it a step further. He not only removes our iniquities but also the causes of these iniquities in us. Sin itself is removed from our lives.

* Removing mold…can’t simply pour bleech on it and pretend it will go away…if there’s a leak in the roof that let the moisture in in the first place then the roof has to be fixed.

* Again let’s look at 2^nd Cor 5:17…The old is what? Is it just under the surface? NO! Is it in hiding for a day or two? NO! Is it gone? YES!!!

*God has removed the cause of our spiritual disease in our lives. He has taken that burden away from us.

4. “He will renew us and satisfy the desires of our hearts!” (v.5)

August 11, 2013 0

15,000 views reached! Thank you readers!!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you all for tuning into this little blog site! It’s unreal that in just over six months that this blog has reached 15,000 viewers. I will do my best to keep this going, and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ in the process! Hallelujah for this wonderful opportunity and for the blessings God has granted me in this area of ministry!

In January I felt the Lord convicting me to share more from my heart in the form of writing, and so I began this venture…I really only got into it in March of this year! So with that said, I wish again to thank you all and keep reading and I will keep writing in His name!

-Blessings on you!

August 3, 2013 2

High Council Day 5 Proceedings (A brief look behind closed doors)

Well, later today we will probably hear of how the presentations of the five candidates went. There would be included in the day an all army inclusive question and answer time as well as a speech from each of the five candidates.

Yesterday each candidate would have been provided an assistant in order to accomplish what they had to write and prepare for today’s proceedings and presentations. As each of the five candidates present their speech and answer the questions to the High Councils, the High Council will in turn assess each candidate. Finally, after the five candidates have all completed their presentations the High Council will begin to vote. If a general consensus or 2/3 vote isn’t accomplished on the first round of voting then the candidate (of the 5) with the least votes will be eliminated as a candidate and they move onto a second round of voting. It has happened in the past that a majority has voted on the first round and a General has been elected, but this is not always the case. Thus, today is quite a crucial day in the proceedings of the High Council. Quite conceivably the High Council could elect its next General by the end of today or more likely tomorrow.

There is much speculation as to who our next General will be given the list and profiles of the five candidates has been available to the The Army world who is on the outside anxiously watching and waiting. But we are not inside the High Council room. We cannot know the responses by the High Council to the presentations nor how the voting will take place. But we do know that soon, very soon we will have the announcement. We all have our preferences and our hopes within these candidates. Some of our concerns and preferences have merit while some are only personal opinions. Thoughtful consideration and prayer are truly viable aspects of this election decision.

additional information on the election process: https://s3.amazonaws.com/cache.salvationarmy.org/f71ade2f-b30f-4554-972a-d2d85b5efcf9_High+Council+feature+-+John+Larrsson.pdf

The office of the General, which is vacant at this moment will be filled very soon. Please be in prayer for the High Council as well as the Candidates today as they have probably come to the conclusion of their participation already today.

August 2, 2013 3

When we utter “Why me God?”

When do we utter “why me God?” Sometimes It happens when we have felt His calling on our lives to do something for Him. Other times we utter it out of frustration at life’s circumstances.

If we are honest with ourselves, at times, we doubt that God even has a plan for us. This doubt may appear and disappear in a moment but still it is present in our thoughts and lives. We fear and sometimes question if God truly knows what He is doing with us. Don’t take this the wrong way, but faith sometimes makes it hard for us to grasp the tangible of the unseen. Does it mean that God isn’t there or He doesn’t know what He’s doing? Certainly NOT!

Let me be clear, God has a plan for each of us, you can be certain of that! Does it necessarily mean that He is involved in all of our steps? I don’t think so, be His presence is certainly there. Rather in the grand scheme of our lives He would love nothing more to forge us into His holy image and guides our steps in that matter.

How should we then respond to God in our circumstances and in His calling on our lives?

There are two biblical examples that I would like to draw from:

1) Samuel

He didn’t quite know who was calling him initially. It is recorded in 1 Samuel that the word of the Lord was very rare in his day…so God calls Samuel in the middle of the night. Samuel thinks that the high priest Eli is calling him. So Samuel gets up and makes his way to Eli, but Eli awakens and says “I didn’t call you. Samuel gets called two additional times, and each time he awakens and goes to see what Eli wants. Finally Eli wises up and says; “Samuel when you hear the voice calling you again say ‘Speak Lord for your servant is listening‘”. (1 Samuel 3:1-10) And so God calls to Samuel again and this time Samuel doesn’t respond with “Why me God?” but instead he responds just as Eli instructed him to. Thus begins the calling and ministry of Samuel and his willingness to obey the Lord when He called.

2) Isaiah

God gives Isaiah an epic vision of heaven. God is on His throne, and all around there are angelic creatures and angels calling out in worship to God, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!” As Isaiah is viewing this majestic scene, he quickly realizes that he is doomed to be in the holy presence of the Almighty. He is confronted with his own sin and the sins of his people. How could he possibly compare to the perfection of God who is in the very room as he? And so Isaiah, perhaps wants to utter “Why me God” but he can’t because He is blown away by God’s very presence and Isaiah’s utter failings and sin. In response to his damning pronunciation one of the Seraphim flies over and brings a coal from the altar of the Lord and touches Isaiah’s lips. Isaiah is purified of his sins and is finally able to respond to a question that God then asks; ” Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?” Isaiah doesn’t say “pick someone else“, nor does he say “why me?“, but rather he simply says, “Here I am, Lord send me.” (Isaiah 6:1-8)

What happens when God calls us?

What is our response to His holy calling? Our response ought to be similar to Isaiah’s response “Here I am, Lord send me!” There might be times when we doubt. There might be times when we feel like asking “Why me God?” Yet when He calls to us and asks something of us, even despite our doubts, the appropriate response is “Here I am, send me!”

This response is a dangerous response. It is a response that says, “Lord I’m going to trust you fully“. It’s a response that says “despite the places and the people you send me to I will go!” Yet the journey will be rewarding…not always but in the long run so very much more rewarding than refusing to go. We aren’t forced to go where God tells us to go. Nor are we robots in our decisions. God listens to us and to our concerns. He hears our worries and our desires. Faith leads us into a deeper relationship with God. Faith helps us to realize that His plans are perfect, He can use us and we can be worthy of His calling.

What will our response be to His calling? Will it be “Why me God?” Or will it be “Here I am, Lord send me!”

August 1, 2013 2

High Councils: Day 4. -Candidates Profiles.

Now that the Candidates for General have been Nominated the real work begins. How long will it take? What does this election of General entail? These and more are common questions that many people have.

http://www.flickr.com//photos/salvationarmyihq/sets/72157634851189198/show/with/9393398571/

Here is the profile information for the five candidates for General:

Thursday 1 August
Candidate profile: Commissioner André Cox
Candidate profile: Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder
Candidate profile: Commissioner James M. Knaggs
Candidate profile: Commissioner Dick Krommenhoek
Candidate profile: Commissioner Barry C. Swanson

August 1, 2013 0

High Council: Day 2

From what everyone is saying in regards to the proceedings of the High Council presently things are moving rather swiftly. The pace is faster than the 2011 High Council, which could mean that we will have a new General by the end of the week! It doesn’t necessarily mean it WILL happen this way, but if the council continues to move at this pace our new General will be elected in a very short time frames.

Day 1: the initial report of the first session can be found here:

http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/news/inr290713

Commissioner William Roberts, National Commander of the US was elected as president of the high council which means he will conduct the day to day proceedings and business of the High Council. More will be added as the news come in and the daily report is given.

Here are also some photos from the first day at High Council: http://www.flickr.com//photos/salvationarmyihq/sets/72157634851189198/show/with/9393398571/

Also, if you have some time here is an interesting video and take of the High Council by Major Stephen Court:

July 30, 2013 0

Haters be hatin’

Are you a people pleaser? Do you struggle with finding approval from your peers or church members? Is that the way God wants us to live?

Of course not! We are to live a life worthy of our calling, so accountability is important in this process, but our first priority shouldn’t be to please everybody! Pleasing everyone is probably the quickest route to disappointment and loss of mission. Don’t mistake working within the body and living in unity with others to be the same as pleasing everyone. It’s not the same thing.

We can all agree that each person that God has created is unique and different. In so saying we should also acknowledge that our vision and means to attain this vision can and probably will differ from person to person. This isn’t to mean that the vision differs, just the method of fulfilling that vision. So what happens then when our roads that we travel upon in our mission for God differs from others? Sometimes we face conflict and disagreement.

Understanding how we differ within the body of Christ can assist us then to understand that our primary goal isn’t to please everyone…it just won’t happen! Our primary goal should always be to do the will of the Father who sends us into the world through Christ’s great commission (Matt 28:16-20).

We won’t always see eye to eye with everybody along the way. We won’t always agree with one another in our varying points of view. In essence, there will be times when “‘haters be hatin'”…but if you are pleasing the Lord in what you’re doing and you have others within the family of God backing you up, shake off the haters and forget trying to placate them or please them…it’s just not worth your time and effort.

“Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.” Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

Make it a point in your life to stop focusing on what others (not friends) are saying about you. Don’t lose sleep over these haters, they just aren’t worth your time and effort! Don’t seek to please them either, after all as the Apostle Paul puts it, who is more important to please God or man?

There is certainly something to be said about others and elders affirming your work, and I’m not denying that at all, but others who aren’t there to support you but rather judge, condemn, criticize and who will take joy in your failure and demise, just ARE NOT WORTH your time.

There will always be the nay sayers among us…don’t let them burden you with their hate and negativity. Instead surround yourself with God pleasing people who will help you in your mission and vision. After all, aren’t we all better off if we first seek to please God in all that we do and say?

-Just a thought for today.

July 24, 2013 1

transMission: New Offerings ‘We Believe’ (Music Review)

I wasn’t asked to give a review of this new offering of the band transMission by anyone, but I’ll give a review anyway. transMission is a Praise/Christian band from Atlanta GA, through The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory’s Music Department, and its band members are also Salvation Army members. transMission is inexplicably linked to The Salvation Army both in word and deed and their latest offering ‘We Believe’ truly strives to link music with doctrinal belief. This may sound boring to some or too lofty of a project but taking one listen at their latest album one will hear the depth and breadth of what ‘we believe’ is all about.

It is a unique and very ambitious venture yet is consistent with the band’s ministry and mission. Never have I before heard a group put together an entire album based solely on doctrinal principles…and it works! Their sound is unique to each song, and unlike some bands, transMission takes some musical/lyrical risk to present both gospel and personal conviction while maintaining the quality of praise/rock standards.

If you haven’t yet heard transMission, check out their website: http://transmission.virb.com/ and sample their latest offering on your web player or mobile device! Here is the link for the ‘We Believe’ web player and list of songs too: http://transmission.virb.com/webelieve

Check them out, then support their ministry!

July 23, 2013 0

High Council – Generals Videos:

(Thank you Salvation Factory)

July 22, 2013 0

Lost Passion in Ministry?

There’s an old joke that goes like this:

“A mother went to wake her son for church one Sunday morning. When she knocked on his door, he said, “I’m not going!”

“Why not?” asked his mother.

“I’ll give you two good reasons,” he said. “One, they don’t like me. Two, I don’t like them.”

His mother replied, “I’ll give you two good reasons why YOU WILL go to church. One, you’re 47 years old. Two, you’re the pastor!”

The problem:

There are, in reality, many pastors who feel this way. They’ve either burned themselves out by working long hours, or they have simply lost the passion. When some of us started out as young, vibrant, on fire for God pastors we could do anything! We could face giants if we had to…but little by little over time some of us are at that point where we just can’t seem to go on anymore.

No one enjoys faking it in ministry. No one wants to put up a front in our ministries and pretend it’s alright when at times it’s all wrong. Some pastors will get to the end of their rope and walk away from the ministry, burned out and disillusioned. While some others will hang on at the end of their rope but they are only going through the motions and passion is lost.

Can you identify? Have you been there? Are you there right now? It’s a very uncomfortable place to be indeed! Having no passion to get up in the morning and minister to people that you may find hard to love and lead. Many pastors who are here and try to gut it out by working longer hours and striving harder often find themselves in depression and marital troubles. Why? Because the balance of ministry and family has been altered to over compensate for lack of passion.

How do pastors who are in this situation recover? How do ministry leaders face their flocks when this personal crisis comes along? Some pastors have friends within their congregations but it is often very hard to divulge personal issues with a member of flock. Leaders who go to church goers with their issues can create separate troubles after all. It is very hard to find peers when in a ministry or ‘appointed’ to a location that isn’t home to the pastor in question.

The Solution: (or at least 5 of them)

Steps to Recovering the Passion:

Here are a few suggestions that might help a pastor who is in need of finding their passion and way again:

1. Take Vacation or a Sabbatical:

One of the top reasons pastors find themselves ministering without passion is because they have worked themselves to the bone. Some are working 50 or more hours a week, striving to be ‘Super-Pastor’. This passion over-compensator is very, very common within ministries of all kinds. It’s not that work is to blame, but when one fixates on tasks instead of the purpose of the tasks we polarize our ministries. Getting some perspective, collecting your breath is very important to reclaiming lost passion.

Someone once said that if God rested on the seventh day why do we think that we don’t need rest? And this is true! We as pastors need rest! We can’t work seven days a week and expect to not suffer from burn out or family issues. Ministry is requires a balance of pastoral and personal time and reflection.

Get away. Plan a vacation without cell phone attachments or laptop involvement. Do something that requires you to leave your work at home. Spend time with your family. Focus on improving these vital relationships. Your family is your lifeline and anchor. Without it in your ministry you might float away. Invest in your family by resting together on vacation.

If you are able to and vacation just isn’t enough, ask your church denomination or district for permission to take a sabbatical. Many times a sabbatical lasts between two months and a year. You might laugh at this notion, but which would you rather have a passionless ministry for the rest of your life or a concentrated holiday away for a relatively short period of time?

Rest is a vital component to recovering and reclaiming your lost passion once again.

2. Read

The topics of our reading may vary but here’s an important tip: Read both fiction and non-fiction books. We all need an escape from the tasks of life, and sometimes reading a good fiction novel is a healthy way to take a break. But don’t just stop in the fiction section; move on to challenging yet inspirational nonfiction. There are many theologians and pastors out there that write excellent books for pastoral demographic. Read up on their insights. Take notes, highlight pages, find topics that inspire you. Ask your peers and other pastors for some good books to read. There is even websites now devoted to the recommendation of good reads. Invest some time in reading more. This investment has the potential of reversing the course of a passionless ministry. Obviously don’t forget to consult ‘The Word’ as well in your search for good reads. God’s word can be a salve in times of need and the Lord can speak to us through its reading.

3. Join a Bible Study

Pastors and others in ‘the ministry’ often spend so much time shepherding and tending to the flock that they forget that they themselves have to be fed spiritually. Even Jesus got away from time to time to be fed by His Father in Heaven. Many pastors suffer from burn out and a passionless ministry because they haven’t taken the time to sit under someone else’ ministry. We need to be fed like any other sheep in the pen. Finding time to do this is difficult, of that I know! But when we allow the time to find a fresh source of spiritual nourishment for us, we possibly reinvigorate our passions.

Perhaps there’s a church in your local area that conducts a bible study that fits into your schedule. If nothing fits, then again look at your schedule. Perhaps you’re so consumed with ‘the ministry’ that you are headed down the road of burn out…and that is not healthy! Find the time! Get to a group that you don’t lead!

Another danger in finding a bible study group as pastors is that we can either want to take control or become overly critical of the leader. Be careful you don’t attend an ‘outside’ bible study solely with this attitude of ‘take control’ or ‘criticism’. You will not be fed within this context and you will undoubtedly cause resentment either within yourself or others attending. Instead enter a bible study group under someone else’ leadership with a humble heart and mind and listen for God to instruct you through these lessons or small group ministries. Finding inspiration and passion in ministry has to have a source of fresh water and life, so to speak.

4. Find a Pastor’s Group/Accountability Partner

Don’t pick a friend, or one who will say ‘yes’ to everything to share with them. Find a mentor or another pastor who is possibly longer in the years of ministry than you are. This may not always be the case, but it helps to create a disciple/discipler atmosphere.

Pastoral associations are okay sometimes…other times they run the risk of becoming a gossip group or a whine session. Avoid these scenarios if you desire to restore your passion in the ministry. Find not only one who challenges you but will pray for and with you as well. We need to be challenged and listened to. Being able to share our struggles with some in a confidential setting is also a vital must!

A Pastor usually can’t go to church member with issues. It just doesn’t work. Pastors, don’t neglect your times of being shepherded! Allow others to come along side you in your times of need. Seek out mentors on your own and learn from them. Share and pray together as well.

There are times when pastors possibly need more than mentor as well. Don’t be fearful of finding a counselor or a Christian therapist either. It’s not a sign of weakness to seek out professional help, many people do. Don’t let old stigmas of counseling keep you away from finding help in the midst of depression or other psychological needs!

5. Pray

Do not underestimate the power of prayer in your lives and in your ministries! Prayer shouldn’t be a ‘last resort’ tool, but rather a primary weapon utilized in our daily lives. Jesus prayed. We should also! Remember the only source and power that will keep us going in our ministries is the power of God. In order to be connected to the power daily and even moment by moment we have to be in constant contact with Him through prayer. It’s our conversation and relationship to Him that ought to keep us going; our love and devotion which propels us onward. This Christian life isn’t easy, and when we add the responsibility or leadership to that we find ourselves facing even more challenges.

Don’t live in a passionless ministry! Don’t simply go through the motions when you get burned out or burned up. A passionless ministry usually indicates something in life is either missing or out of place. Face it. Address it. There are obviously more remedies than the five that I’ve listed but begin here, and my prayer for you is that you find your passion once again!

Additional Reads:

http://www.churchleaders.com/youth/youth-leaders-articles/145294-a-leader-in-crisis-i-ve-lost-my-excitement.html

http://www.christianitytoday.com/le/2012/spring/losingedge.html

http://www.redpointmag.com/2012/02/28/keeping-your-passion-for-ministry/

http://www.ministryhealth.net/mh_articles/234_twenty-five_ways_passion.html

LOVE THIS SITE:

http://soulcare.com/

And the ministry of Mindy Caliguire

http://www.soulcare.com/bio

July 15, 2013 0